The present invention is directed to a cross-connect method for STM-1 signals of a synchronous digital multiplex hierarchy upon multiple employment of demultiplexing methods wherein each STM-1 signal is first divided into three or, respectively, four upper units and these are subsequently respectively divided into tributary units including individual outputs for the separation of 1544, 6312, 44,736, 2048, 8448, and/or 34,368 kbit/s signals, optionally via different paths, upon multiple employment of multiplexing methods that reverse these demultiplexing methods, and upon employment of methods for the operation of a switching matrix network.
The above-referenced multiplexing and demultiplexing methods are known, for example, from CCITT Recommendation G.709, FIG. 1.1/G.709 and from a multiplex structure that was disclosed at the European Transmission Standards Institute ETSI at the TM3 Meeting (Transmission and Multiplexing) in Brussels between Apr. 24 and 28 1989.
German Published Application DE 35 11 352 A1 discloses a method and a switching equipment for distributing plesiochronic broadband digital signals, whereby these signals, controlled by a central clock, are converted into intermediate digital signals containing auxiliary signals upon filling and, after passing through a switching matrix network, are in turn re-converted into plesiochronic broadband digital signals.
In one method (P 9 23 172.0, a post-published German patent application, corresponding to U.S. Ser. No. 539,890, filed Jun. 18, 1990) data blocks of different multiplexing levels are converted into cross-connect data blocks that are ordered in a fixed super-frame for a transmission bit rate of 38,912 kbit/s (D39 signal).